Electric-clock system



(No Model.)

0. L. CLARKE.

ELECTRIC GLOGK SYSTEM.

Patented Aug. 9,. 1887 0. 7% QM 4W air Mg N, PETERS, Phawutmrg her,nnnnnnnnnnnn C.

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. CLARKE, OF EAST ORANGE, NE\V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE ITELEMETER COMPANY, OF NE? YORK.

ELECTRIC-CLOCK SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,960, dated August9, 1887.

Application filed February 9, 1887. Serial No. 227,008.

To all whom) it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs L. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States,residing in East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-ClockSystems, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to the organization of apparatus controlled byelectriccurrents trans mitted from more or less distant points for thepurpose of indicating time.

Certain features of the invention are also applicable to the indicationof temperature, atmospheric, steam, and other pressures, and to similarpurposes.

The object of the invention is to provide convenient, simple, andreliable means for causing the successive impulses transmitted, toadvance the indicating movement the re quired distance, to insure thatthere shall be no excess of movement, and that the apparatus shall bereturned to its normal condition after each operation.

In patents granted to me October 6, 1 885, Nos. 327,526 and 327 ,527there are described organizations of apparatus of the same generalcharacter as that shown herein. In these patents there is shown a systemof circuits and apparatus in which means are provided for placing aseries of actuating elcctromagnets in circuit, and for insuring that thecircuit, when once closed,shall not be interrupted until all theelectro-magnets have had time to perform their functions, thus guardingagainst any defect which might arise from the slower action of somemagnets. The general plan there proposed is to place in an independentcircuit an interruptingdeviee for opening the circuit which is primarilyclosed. The independent circuit is completed only when the entire seriesof magnets have responded. lVith this construction, however, it maysometimes chance that by reason of a defect in some one instrumentitself the electro-magnet for operating the same might fail to move itsarmature and complete the connections of the second circuit at thatpoint. In such an event the primary circuit would still remain closedand (No model.)

difficulty, and it is accomplished by placing in the primary circuit, inaddition to the usual circuit-closer, a subsidiary circuit-controller,which will, during the greater portion of the time, interrupt theconnections of the main line at a second point, but will close thembefore the principal circuit-closer is brought into operation, and willcontinue in operation until the operation of the primary circuit-closeris completed. It will then cause the primary circuit to be againinterrupted after the actuated devices have had time to operate. Should,therefore, any particular actuated movement be out of order and thesecondary circuit fail to be completed, the apparatus will continue tooperate as a one-wire system until the de fcctive instrument isrepaired.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram illustrating the generalorganization of apparatus and system of circuits for carrying out theinvention.

Referring to the figure, R represents a circuit-elosing device appliedto a moving part say the sccondshand arbor of a regulator. This deviceconsists of a contact-point, r, which is carried forward by themovements of the arbor and makes sliding conl act, once each second orat any other predetermined intervals, with a contact-point, 1". Thepoint r is preferably narrow and located between two of the points ofrest of the circnitclosing arm, so that by a single beat of the pendulumor movement of the balance-wheel of the clock the arm a" will be carriedinto and out of contact with the contact-point r. The circuit ofabattery, 0, is designed to be completed by the operation of this armthrough a series of electromagnets, M M, applied to clock-movements orother instruments, N N. The magnets M are included in a main line, L,connected at the distant station with the earth at G At the home stationthis line L terminates at a contact-plate, a, to which an arm, '2',moving with the point r, is applied. A.poiiit,1",upon the arm 1' makescontact with the point or plate a. The latter is of such width thatcontact 'ill be made a certain definite time before the point r makescontact with the point W, and the point 1* remains in contact with theloo plate a a certain deiinite time after the arm 1' touches the pointa. Thus, if the circuit is to be closed at 1* upon the sixtieth second,the point 1- will touch the plate (tat the fifty-ninth second and remainin contact therewith until the end of the first second of the succeedingminute. The pointifltherefore, will always find the connections of theline L completed to itselfwhen it is in position to make contact withthe point 0- The connections are continued from the point 1" by aconductor, L, through the coils of an electro-magnet, H, and through alever, applied to an electro-magnet, Q, in a manner hereinafter to bedescribed, thence to acontact-point, q, and thence to the battery 0, onepoleof which is connected with the earth at G, An impulse, therefore,will be sent from the battery 0 through the mag nets M whenever thecircuit is completed at the point r 1- The electro-magnct H is providedwith an armature, 71 carried upon a lever, 7t, and provided with a frontcontact point, 71%. The point 71 is connected by a conductor, 1., withthe conductor L, leading to the eleetro-magnet, and it is designed, inconnection with the lever, to form a shunt-circuit upon the points 1 9*after the circuit is closed by the latter and the lever h of the magnetII has been thrown forward. For this purpose the lover is connected by aconductor, 2, with a plate, (6 similar to the plate it, applied to thepoint 1", similar to the point r and in electrical connection therewith.The contact of the point with its plate a continues the connections tothe lever 71., and when the lever h is drawn against its point h theshuntcircuit will be completed upon the points 1" a This circuit, it isevident, will remain complete until interrupted at the plates (4 (1?, orelse at the point g.

It is the intention that the clcctro-magnet Q shall be vitalizcd afterall the electro-magnets M have responded and operated their respectivemovements N, and thereby interrupt the circuit through the magnet 11,and. thus cause a circuit to be interrupted at the poi nt if. For thispurpose the lever q" is constructed with an extension, q, extending intothe path of the armature-lever (I of the electromagnet Q. \Vhen themagnet Q is vitalized, the lever q, striking the extension q, lifts thelever g from the point (1", thus breaking the circuit of the battery 0.This electro-magnet Q is vitalized by a current transmitted through asec 0nd line, L. This line L leads from the lever through the magnet Q;to the lever m of the first movement N in the series. This lever isprovided with a front contact-point, m, which is connected with asection of the line L leading to the lever on of the next move-' ment.This lever in turn. is provided with a point m, connected in like mannerwith the succeeding movement, and so on throughout the series. The lastcontact-point m of the series is connected with the line L, leading tothe earth at G. \Vhen, therefore, all the le vcrs or" have served tooperate their respective movements, being drawn toward theirelectromagnets, the circuit of the line if will be completed, the magnetQ vitalizod, and the con nections of both the lines L and L interruptedat the point 1;. It is evident now that should any lever m fail torespond the connections of the line L would remain open, and thereforethe eleetromagnet ()3 would not respond. To guard against any suchfailure, the device for completing the connections of the lines L and Iftemporarily at the plates a and (I? is employed. Ky means of this devicethe circuit will be interrupted a moment after the impulse is sent, eventhough the magnet Q should fail to be vitalized, and thcline will be putin condition to be again operated a second before the next impulse is tobe sent. Thus the clock-movements which are in operating condition willcontinue to be actuated by currents transmitted over one line, L.

I As it may be desired to advance the clock movements to set them atsome other time than when the plates a and a are connected through thepoints 1" 0-, a switch, .9, is employed for completing the connectionsbetween the conductor 2 and the plates a, the latter being connected bya conductor, 3, with the switch-point 8, while the switch .9 isconnected with the conductor 2. A key, K, connected with the point a),by making contact with its point 7;, will complete the circuit from thebattcry 0 through the key-lever to the cmuluctor 2. By means of thiskey, therefore, as many impulses as required may be sent. A switch, M,is included in the conductor leading from the point q to the battery 0,for inierru1 )ting its connections when desired.

The several electro-magnets are shown with artificial resistancesLconnectiug their respective terminals through. which the dischargetakes place when the circuit is interrupted. In apatent, No. 317,572,issued to me August 17, 1886, there shownan artificial resistanceplaeed, as shown in the present instance, at 'L 'l in sections of theline L connecting the respective movements. This is provided forequalizing the resistance of the line L, for otherwise the resistance ofthe line L would, if many instruments were in circuit, ultimately so farexceed that of thelinel'i as to cause the current to be immediatelydiverted from the line L the moment the connections of theline L werecompleted, thus causing the magnet 11 to be demagnetizcd too quickly.The resistances 1 are approximately equal to the resistance of thecorresponding electro magnets, 'M.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a series of electromagnets, devices actuated thereby, a main line including the same, acircuit-closer for completing a circuit through. said main line, asecond main line having its connections completed by the operation ofall of said dc vices, a circuitinterrupting device actuated by a currentthrough said second main line, and an independentdevice automaticallycompleting connections in the first main line he IIO fore andinterruping them after the operation of said circuit-closer,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a battery, two main lines deriving currentstherefrom, a series of actuating devices having their actuating-mag netsincluded in one of said main lines, a circuitcloser for said line, acircnit-interrupting device having its actuating-magnet included in thesecond of said main lines, means for completing the circuit of thesecond line when all of said devices have been actuated, and anindependent automatically-operating circuitcontrolling device in thefirst line interrupting its connections independently of saidcireuit-interrupting device after the operation of said circuit-closer.

3. The combination of a series of electromagnets, a main line includingthe same normally interrupted at two points, means for periodicallyclosing the connections at one point, and a device moving therewith forclosing the connections at a second point before the operation of thefirst-named device, and causing them to remain closed at the secondpoint until after the operation of the firstnamed device, substantiallyas described.

4-. The combination of a series of electrically-actuated devices,electro-magnets for operating the same, a main line including theelectro-magnets, a moving cireuit-closer,means for causing saidcircuit-closer to complete the connections of said main line at twodifferent points, and causing the connections at one of the points to beof greater duration than that at the other point, and a second main linehaving its connections normally interrupted at each device and at apoint closed by the operation of said eircuiteloser, substantially as debperating circuit-controller normally interrupting the connections ofthe first-named line,-except for a brief period, including the time whensaid circuit-closer operates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day ofFebruary, A. D. 1887.

CHARLES L. CLARKE.

Wi tn esscs DANL. WV. EDG'EOOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY.

